Tigers to feature Chevrolet mascot race in 3rd inning of home games

As shown in this photo illustration, the Tigers will begin Motor City Wheels mascot races during the third inning of home games.

The Detroit Tigers on Thursday will stage mascot races at Comerica Park featuring classic Chevrolet brand cars as part of a deal announced today with the 39-dealer Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Local Marketing Association.

Mascot races are commonplace at other major league ballparks and with some teams in other pro sports. The first “Motor City Wheels” mascot race featuring “Bella Air” (1957 Bel Air), “Corey Vette” (1958 Corvette) and “Petey Pickup” (1954 Chevy pickup) will peel out when Detroit hosts the Texas Rangers at 1:08 p.m. Thursday.

The races will occur during the third inning break, the team said in a statement, and they are contingent upon the weather.

The mascots are stylized cartoon outfit versions of the vehicles, not unlike the characters from the animated movie “Cars,” earn worn by a person who wears black pants to run the race around the Comerica Park playing field.

The race joins the fifth-inning promotional sprint with “Biggy Bagel,” “Cuppy Coffee” and “Dashing Donut” that’s part of a marketing deal between the Tigers and Dunkin’ Donuts. The Detroit Lions also have the donut race during home games at Ford Field.

The Washington Nationals for years have had mascot races featuring George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and, as of this season, William Howard Taft in what’s known as the “The Racing Presidents.” A longtime Nats gimmick was to never allow Roosevelt to win a race.

The Milwaukee Brewers have racing sausages and the Cleveland Indians have racing hotdogs featuring different condiments.

“Detroit is a city that lives, breathes and dreams automotive and we have a tremendous amount of pride in that,” said Paul Stanford, president of Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Local Marketing Association, in a statement. “With the Motor City Wheels mascot races, we are giving fans a chance to get reintroduced to three classic cars that embrace our history and celebrate our heritage as the Motor City.”

And, of course, encourage fans to buy Chevrolets.

The Chevy marketing group did a photo contest with Tigers team mascot Paws last season.

Comerica Park’s centerfield is dominated by the Chevrolet Fountain that features a Silverado and Equinox. The brand’s name has been on the fountain since 2010. It included the Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC logos during the automotive crisis of 2009 when Chevy slashed advertising. From the ballpark’s opening in 2000 to 2008, it was the General Motors Fountain.

While the mascot race deal is a local one, Major League Baseball has a relationship dating back decades with the General Motors Co. brand.

Since 2005, Chevy has been the official car of MLB, and that deal was renewed for another five years in 2011 with Major League Baseball Properties. The 2011 deal’s financial terms were not released, but the 2005 contract reportedly was $50 million.

“Baseball, Apple Pie and Chevrolet” was on the brand’s iconic advertising jingle in the 1970s, a catchphrase created by the Detroit advertising agency known today as Lowe Campbell Ewald (which had the Chevy account for 91 years until 2010).

The costumes were created by Milwaukee-based Olympus Group, which manufactures sports and corporate mascot outfits.